Glazed Carrots

The key to this glazed carrots recipe isn’t the brown sugar. Though a little sweetener is important for the rich flavor of the saucy glaze, you could easily swap in a brown sugar substitute to make maple-syrup- or honey-glazed carrots instead. What matters even more is this: how you cut the vegetables. Trimming whole carrots into evenly sized pieces ensures each angular bite softens at the same rate, while the sharp diagonal cut creates more surface area, allowing the savory-sweet mixture of melted butter and sugar thorough coverage. The result is beautifully caramelized, perfectly candied carrots with tender, buttery interiors. 

Prep time for these brown-sugar-glazed carrots is minimal and the entire dish is prepared on the stovetop, making it an easy recipe for everything from weeknight dinners to that Easter brunch you accidentally agreed to host back in January. Serve alongside roast chicken and mashed potatoes for a hearty supper, or spoon them astride Greek yogurt and garnish with salty crushed roasted pecans for a light lunch.

In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, glazed carrots will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two. Warm over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if needed.